Where the tropics speak and stories grow – from canopy to community.
Welcome to the Tropical Studies Blog that takes you behind the scenes of OTS fieldwork, told by students, researchers, staff, and communities on the front lines of discovery.
In News
OTS Attends the U.N. sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) in Cali, Colombia
In late October, OTS Director for Strategic Engagement Carlos Silva traveled to Cali as part of a delegation of more than 20 people from the Ecological Society of America (ESA) to attend COP16, the latest round of negotiations among 196...
In News
Alumni Ambassador spotlight – January 2025
Photo: Darren Lowery An interview with Darren Lowery, African Ecology and Conservation, Fall 2024 What made you decide to do an OTS program? I decided to do an OTS program, because I believed it would be an invaluable experience. I...
In News
Announcing the Dr. Nora Bynum Fund for Inclusion
To celebrate the work of Dr. Nora Bynum, who retired last fall from her position as OTS Dean of Academic Programs, OTS announces the Dr. Nora Bynum Fund for Inclusion. Nora has had a profound influence on OTS through her...
In News
News from Admissions – January 2025
Tropical Biology, Spring 2025 OTS Admissions proudly welcomes our Spring 2025 undergraduate cohorts! Our African Ecology and Conservation program in South Africa has reached its largest enrollment since pre-pandemic times, and our Tropical Biology on a Changing Planet program in...
In News
Science happenings at OTS: New research and publications – January 2025
Photo: Stephanie Clements Photo: Stephanie Clements Complex patch geometries maximize species richness at the expense of forest specialists. The landscape surrounding Las Cruces Research Station is highly fragmented, consisting of forest reserves, forest patches, corridors, and a matrix. Clements...
In News
An OTS “Home by the Sea”— A gift that bridges art and conservation
Florencia Urbina Crespo We are delighted to share that renowned Costa Rican visual artist Florencia Urbina Crespo, a member of the seminal contemporary art group Bocaracá, former Director of the Museum of Costa Rican Art, and Essential Costa Rica brand...
In News
Graduate Programs – January 2025
The year 2025 is packed with a lot of amazing graduate-level courses to be held all across Costa Rica. We started the year with the two-week Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes (TFL) course, one of an OTS favorite, led by Eddie...
In News
In her ‘magic’ way: Dr. Nora Bynum retires after leading worldwide education and research efforts
On November 15, the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) honored Dr. Nora Bynum by creating the Dr. Nora Bynum Fund for Inclusion. She’s a fitting recipient of this recognition, given her dedication to conservation education and research over the past...
In News
Traveling to South Africa for the first time with OTS
Photo credit: Laurence Kruger My friend and I traveled together from Denver, CO. As we lugged our bags through the Johannesburg airport, a man approached us and asked if we were with OTS. Although we had no identifiable markings as...
In News
Letting the Tree Stand: OTS Experiences South Africa 2024
Photo credit: Laurence Kruger I ended up in South Africa on a whim, and while this may make me seem like an unserious person, in truth, I am not. But having toured OTS in La Selva almost twenty years before,...